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Moons, Mars & Amore

If you're looking to inject some romance into your life, tonight's the night. This evening Mars will approach Earth closer than it has for the past two years, and we'll also experience a full lunar eclipse. In earlier times, Mars was associated with male power (the whole "god of war with his big spear" thing), while the moon and its cycles were considered a symbol of female power and mystery. The Saint Louis Science Center doesn't go into that sort of nonscientific, mytho-poetic jazz, but it recognizes the glory of a beautiful night sky. So tonight's date night at the James S. McDonnell Planetarium (Clayton and Faulkner drives; 314-289-4424 or www.slsc.org) is themed Nova Nights: Red Planet, Red Moon. Telescopes will be handy for viewing both of the aforementioned astronomical phenomena, and there's also a screening of the 1964 film First Men in the Moon, which is based on an H.G. Wells story. Admission is $10 to $15, there's a cash bar and reservations are recommended.
Fri., April 11, 7 p.m., 2014